This invention relates to boat anchors and particularly the type of anchor having a pair of flukes.
Various types of boat anchors are known including fluke anchors which are particularly suited for a hard or medium-hard bottom. Anchors designed for use in a mud bottom often are provided with relatively wide, pointed flukes, pivotally supported by a cross head mounted on a shank. These flukes can penetrate a sand or mud bottom as the anchor is dragged across the bottom.
An anchor moors a vessel or boat to the lake or river bed, generally by its own weight and by hooking itself into the bottom. For this reason anchors have generally been reasonably heavy with the weight and size of the anchor being dependent to some extent on the boat on which it is to be used. The anchor is attached to the boat by a cable or rope which is generally secured at one end of the boat.
Many boats in use today are used for recreational purposes and are generally used in good weather. A common form of recreational vessel is a small, one or two person rubber raft. Often these rafts are used for sun bathing and not for "boating" in the normal sense. People using such rubber rafts are often in swimwear and, in many cases, they would not be wearing shoes that would provide some protection to their feet. Because of the nature of and the weight of standard boat anchors, they are not particularly suited for use with light recreational vessels such as rubber crafts. Many anchors and particularly fluke type anchors have reasonably sharp corners or points that can cut or puncture a rubber craft. Such known anchors are also capable of causing injury if dropped accidentally on a person's foot.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a light-weight boat anchor that is particularly suitable for use with rubber crafts or light boats and that is less likely to cause injury to the user if accidentally dropped.
It is another object of the invention to provide a light-weight anchor wherein all corners of the flukes are rounded and smooth so that the anchor is less likely to damage a rubber craft or boat.